Valve-operating mechanism



Nov. 10, 1925- D. F. ASBURY VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed April 19, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ammo/H130 E. FL/Zsug v. fifi Nov. 10, 1925- D. F. ASBURY VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed April 19, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 To all whom it concern:

' Reiss'ued 'Nov.- 10, 1925.

o-Nusof srn'rss DORSEY I. ASBUIi-Y, 01 3300112138 ISLAND, MARYLAND.

VALYE-OPERA'IIITG MECHANISM.

original I'm 1,481,951, dated January as, 1924, Serial No. 374,997, filed April 19, 1920. Application for i reissue filed February 11, 1925. Serial No. 8,574.

F. Aismmr, a at Be it known that I, DORSEY citizen of .the United States, resldln Broomes Island, in thecount [of Ca ,vert.

and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve- Operating Mechanisms, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention relates to valve operating mechanisms and has for its purpose to provide improvements in the /construction of such mechanisms, particularly of the -rocker' arm type, whereby noise, friction, lubrication and the necessity for adjustment of parts is eliminated.

In my former application for like improvements, filed Feb. 21, 1920, and serially numbered 360,487, I disclosed an arrangement embodying a spring arranged to both yield and act positively as an element of the mechanism, while in my present invention I make use of a yieldable wedging arrangement to accomfplish the purposes of the spring element 0 my former invention.

- In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section throu h an internal combustion engine showing the application of one form of my inventionthereto with the parts in an exaggerated normal position;

Fig. 2', a similar view showing the position of-the parts when the valve is operated;

Fig.3, a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4:, a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5, a view similar to Fig. 1 of another modified formof my invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, particularl to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A designates general y a portion of an internal combustion engine of the valve-in-head type and includes as is usual a cylinder 10, piston 11 and cylinder head 12. Seating on the head 12 is a puppet valve 13 including a stem 14 which extends through and projects above the head 12 and has associated therewith a spring 15 holding the valve normally to its seat. Disposed in operative relation to the valve 13 is a tappet rod 16 and brid 'ng the upper ends of sald tappetrod and t e valve stem is a rocker or lever arm 17; 'Iappet rod 16 is operated in any well known or re ferred manner, as by means of a cam not shown) to actuate the lever arm which in turn is designed to impart desired movements to the valve.

As in my former application previously identified, I providea rolling contact between the lever arm and the valve stem and between "the lever arm and the tappet rod in order to eliminate friction and thereby avoid the necessity of lubricatingthese relatively contacting parts of the mechanism. This is accomplished by. providin convexed surfaces on the lever arm adapted tO' roll on the upper flat ends of the valve stem and tappet rod as the lever arm is rotated on its pivot'during operation of the mechanism.

In order to provide a flexible fulcrum for the lever arm, whereby I am enabled to eliminate'noise and friction during operation of the mechanism, I pivot the lower end of a link 18 to a suitable bracket 19 secured to the head 12 and interpose between the link and an intermediate portion of the lever arm a. fioatin member 20havinga rolling contact with ioth the link and the lever arm. Preferablythe floating member 20 consists of a ball and in order to retain the same in place between the link and the lever arm I extend the link through a vertical slot 21 in the lever arm and seat the. ball in a depression formed by chamferin the inner upper edges of the side walls 0 said slot. Asa consequence the link and the lever" arm are prevented from moving lat erally with respect to' one another to any appreciable extent, and the ball 20, by reason of being seated in said V-shaped depression, is held against movement transversely of the lever arm so that it cannot become accidentally displaced from its operative posi tion betweenl, the link and the lever arm. The chamfered ed es of the lever arm are curved in the longitudinal direction of the lever arm at a greater radius than the radius of the ball and likewise the face of the link contacting with the ball is curved corresponding to the curvature of the ball contaoting faces of the lever arm. Thus relalogos tive movement of the link and lever arm in maintain the parts of .an arrangement of opposite directions obviously will produce a se aration of these parts at right angles to the direction of said relative opposite movement due to the progressive y increasin wedging effect producedbetween the bafi and the curved faces of the link and lever arm. Connecting the link with the lever arm is a spring 22 which exerts a tension tending to move the link and lever arm in relative opposite directions and as a result normally maintains the ball in contact with the lever and link on the inclined surfaces and the lever in contact with the tappet rod and valve stem, respectively, the force of said spring intensified by the wedging effect referred to reacting on the tap et rod 16 and valve stem 14 from the cylin er head 12 throughthe bracket 19, link 18, ball 20 and lever arm 17'.

In Figure 1 I have exaggerated the nor mal position of the ball with respect to the link and lever arm. When the mechanism is operated by an upward movement of the tappet rod to depress and open the valve the force of the spring 22 will be overcome due to the wedge connection between the link and the lever arm and the ball will roll to the position shown in Fig. 2 when it will act as a positive element of the mechanism,

its initial action being a yieldable one as is apparent.

In Fig. 4 I show an arrangement having the same action as the arrangement just described, but embodied in a slightly different structure. In this latter instance I provide an Lshaped link 18 and pivot itas its elbow*to a bracket 19' secured to the cylinder head. Between the vertical arm of this link and the lever arm I provide a rolling Wedgingv contact similar to that provided in the preferred form of my invention with the exception that I utilize a roller 20 in lieu of the ball 20. The spring 22 I interpose between the bracket 19" and the lateral extension of the link and this spring tends to rotate the link on its pivot and cause a wedging action between the roller and lever arm to maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings is illustrated one method of accomplishing the purposes of my invention in mechanisms of the type where the actuator or tappet rod is alined with the valve. In such instances I may interpose between the ends of thevalve stem and tappet rod a'member 23 and between opposite faces of this member and the respective ends of the valve stem and tappet red I interpose balls 20". Curved surfaces may be provided on the member and on the ends of the valve stem and tappet rod to produce a desired Wedging effect and a spring 22" of any desired type may be utilized to roviding a ing surface on each and for such reasons I desire to have it understood that I reserve as my right all such variations as may be included within the scope of the appended claims.

' I claim:

means acting between said movable fulcrum and said; lever arm to maintain said lever arm in contact with said valve and actuator.

1. In a valve operating mechanism, a

3. In a valve operating mechanism, in-

eluding a pair of members one of which is provided with a wedge surface, and bodily movable means between said members having rollable contact with said wedge surface to maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

4. In a'valve operating mechanism, a.

valve, an actuator therefor, a lever between said valve and actuator, a pivoted link, a wedging connection between said link and said lever, and spring means associated with said link constantly exerting a force to cause said wedging connection to maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

5. In a Valve operating mechanism, a valve, an actuator therefor, a rocker arm between said valve and-actuator, a movable tween link and rockerd' arm and enga t eir respective we ing surfaces and y lbldable means constantdy tending td relative] 'move said link and rocker arm to there ycause said rollable member to react from said wedging surfaces and thereby maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

-7. In a valve 0 erating mechanism, a valve, an actuator t erefor, a lever arm between said valve and actuator, and a movable fulcrum for said lever arm including wedging'means to maintain said lever arm in contact with said valve and actuator,

8. A valve operating mechanism including a pair of members one of which is movable and provided with a wedge surface, a bodily movable element between said members hav-. ing a rollable contact with said wedge surface, and means acting to cause a wedging action between said wedge surface and said element, thereby to maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

9. A valve operating mechanism including a pair of movable members one of which is provided with a wedge surface, an element between said members having rollable contact with said wedgin surface, each of said members being mova 1e independently of said rollable element, and means acting to cause a wedging action between said wedge surface and said rollable element, thereby to maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

10. A valve operating mechanism includin a pair of members one of which is movab e, a wedge surface on each member, a bodil movable element between said members aving rollable contact with the wedge surface of each member, and means acting to cause a wedging action between said wedge surfaces and said element thereby to maintain the parts of the mechanism in contact.

11. A valve operating mechanism including a pair of movable members each of which is provided with a wedge surface, an element between said members having rollable contact with the wedge surface of both members, each of said members being movable independently, of said rollable element,

and means actin to cause a wedging action between said wedging surfaces and said "rollable element, thereby to maintain the parts of mechanism in contact.

12. In a valve operating mechanism, a valve including a stem, an actuator, a rocker arm between said valve and actuator having rolling contact with said stem, and a fulcrum member for said rocker arm hav-- ing rolling contact therewith and movable longitudinally of the rocker arm to permlt said rocker arm to roll on said valve stem. I 13. In a valve operating mechanism for engines, a valve including a stem, an actuator, a rocker arm between said valve and actuator having rolling contact with said stem, a fulcrum member for said rocker arm movable longitudinally with respect thereto .to permit said rocker arm to roll on said 15. In a valve operating mechanism, a

rocker arm, a support therefor, and an anti friction bearin'g' between said rocker arm and sald support consisting of a single member rolllng with respect to both of them.

16. In a valve operating mechanism for engines, a valve including a stem, an actuator, a rocker arm between said valve and actuator, a fulcrum member for said rocker arm movable to permit said rocker arm to roll on said valve stem, said fulcrum memher being supported from a fixed part of the'engine, rolling means between said fulcrum member and said fixed part permitting the fulcrum member to shift with respect to said fixed partwhile rolling, and rolling means between said fulcrum member andsaid rocker arm.

17. In a valve operating mechanism, a rocker arm and a supporttherefor one of which is provided with a trough of V-shaped cross section, and a member between 5am rocker arm and said support rolling in said trough.

18. In a valve operating mechanism, a rockerarm and a support therefor one of which is provided with a trough of V-shaped cross section extending in a direction longitudinally with respect to the rocker arm, and a convexly curved member between said support and said rocker arm rolling in said trough. 19. In a valve operating mechanism a rocker arm .and a support therefor one of which is provided with a trou h of V-shaped cross section extending in a irection longitudinally with respect to the rocker arm, and a single ball between said support and said rocker arm rolling in said trough.

20. In a valve operating mechanism, a rocker arm and a support therefor one of ing between said rocker arm and its support consisting of means rolling on and having contact at a sin 1e point at all times'with each of said sur aces.

21. I a valve mechanism for engines, a

rocker arm, a support therefor in the form 5 of a yoke comprising spaced side portions and end cl'tions connecting them, and hearing mem ers at the ends of said yoke having rolling contact, respectively, with said rocl er arm and with a fixed part of the engine.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

DQRSEY F. ASBURY. 

